Linking the Movement Patterns and Foraging Behavior of Humpback Whales to their Prey across Multiple Spatial Scales within the LTER Study Region

Whales play a central role in the ecology and biogeochemistry of the Southern Ocean. However, little is known regarding their distribution and behavior, in part because of challenges associated with studying these organisms from large research vessels. This research will take advantage of the unique opportunity presented by the 2012-2013 test run of the smaller, more mobile R/V Point Sur. This work will use the Point Sur to investigate humpback whales in the waters studied by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Station off the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Employing a combination of long-term satellite-linked tags and short-term suction cup tags, researchers will investigate the distribution, abundance and foraging behaviors of whales in this region. Whale biogeography will then be related to quantitative surveys of krill, their primary food source. Hypotheses regarding whale distribution and foraging strategies as well as physical oceanographic features will be tested. The WAP is undergoing some of the most dramatic warming on the planet, and a better understanding of the ecology of top predators is central to developing an understanding of the impacts of this change. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. Finally, this work will be coordinated with the extensive infrastructure of the Palmer LTER site, enabling outreach and educational activities.

鲸类在南大洋的生态系统与生物地球化学循环中发挥核心作用。然而目前学界对其分布与行为模式仍知之甚少，部分原因在于依托大型科考船开展此类物种研究面临诸多挑战。本研究将借助2012-2013年度小型机动科考船R/V Point Sur试航期间提供的独特契机，对南极半岛西部（Western Antarctic Peninsula，WAP）海域帕尔默长期生态研究站（Long Term Ecological Research，LTER）监测水域内的座头鲸展开调查。研究团队将结合长期卫星追踪标签与短期吸盘式附着标签，对该区域鲸类的分布、种群丰度与觅食行为开展研究。后续将鲸类生物地理学特征与其主要食物来源磷虾的定量调查数据进行关联分析，并验证有关鲸类分布、觅食策略以及海洋物理环境特征的多项假说。南极半岛西部是全球变暖最为显著的区域之一，深入了解顶级捕食者的生态特征，是厘清气候变化影响的核心环节。本研究成果将通过学术期刊发表以及国内外学术会议汇报的方式广泛传播，原始数据将通过开放获取数据库向公众公开。此外，本研究将与帕尔默LTER站点的完善基础设施开展协同合作，以推进科普推广与教育活动的实施。